Tom Norris took on the task of filling in as the head boys basketball coach Tuesday, Feb. 2 as a favor to full time head coach Kyle Templeton.

Then again, he even took on the assistant coach job as a favor to Templeton to begin the season.

"I didn't really like the job but, you know, I had to step up and do it and it was a lot of fun," Norris said. "I only came back to coach because of Kyle. He asked and I said yes. He's a great guy and I'm glad to help him out."

The favor paid dividends Tuesday as the Raiders rallied from behind to beat Kentridge, 69-57, on the TJ home floor -- adding one career win for the coach who led the Raiders full time 11 years ago.

Norris gave the credit to the athletes.

"The kids did a great job, boy did they come through," he said.

Thomas Jefferson got off to a bad start against the Chargers, falling into an 8-0 abyss.

Justin Lanier stopped the down turn by swishing in a three-point shot to make it 8-3 with 4:36 to play in the first quarter.

After a Kentridge three-pointer made it 11-3, the Raiders went on a rampage to close the gap to 11-10 at 2:33 to go. Spencer Hicks dropped in a two-point shot and Eric Radford knocked in a three-pointer, then Jeff Brigham tossed in two more.

Brigham gave TJ the lead on the final basket of the first quarter, beating the buzzer with a three-pointer that made it 18-17.

Teammate Scott Sanford hit one of two free throws at the 6:39 mark of the second quarter to make it 19-17 before Kentridge put together an 8-0 swing for a 25-19 lead.

The Raiders answered with an eight point string of their own. Spencer Hicks hit a two-point shot and an ensuing free throw and then scored a two-pointer for a 25-24 lead at 2:18 to go. Brigham followed with a three-pointer and just like that the Raiders were up, 30-27, at the 1:49 mark.

Kentridge led, 31-30, at halftime despite a three-pointer by Radford at 1:10.

The game settled into a back-and-forth affair in the third quarter, which ended with a three-point shot by Brigham while falling backward that tied it, 46-46.

The two teams were tied at 50-50 with 6:16 to play in the fourth quarter before a basket by Lanier made it 53-50 with a standard three-point play. A three-point shot by Brigham with 4:56 left gave the Raiders a 56-50 advantage they never relinquished.

Norris was able to run the backup players onto the court at the bitter end.

"The substitutes won't like me," Norris said. "I rode those starters until the end."

Lanier, a senior guard, finished with 26 points and Brigham and Hicks both hit 15. Randford scored eight, Sanford three and Chase Braxmeyer two.

"Justin Lanier came up huge," Norris said.

Radford added 11 rebounds and five assists to his scoring.